Air quality in Agartala

How bad is the level of air pollution in Agartala?

As of late January 2022, it can be seen that Agartala is still subject to some fairly high levels of air pollution. Whilst they are not reaching the extreme heights of some other cities that can be found throughout India (with some coming in with hazardous air quality readings, indicating that the air would be permeated with thick clouds of smoke, haze and dangerous particulate matter in certain areas of each city), it still stands to reason that Agartala has air quality that can be improved upon. US AQI readings of 120 were taken, placing Agartala into the 'unhealthy for sensitive groups' rating bracket, which indicates that respiratory irritation and distress will start to present themselves amongst the general population at such a level, and as the name indicates, those who are more vulnerable will be hit considerably harder by the pollution present in the air.

What are some of the most dangerous and common forms of pollution present in Agartala?

Some examples of air pollutants that are found in varying amounts in the air throughout Agartala include ones such as black carbon and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Due to both of these pollutants being released from the burning of both organic material as well as fossil fuels, they can be found in fairly large quantities in many areas that see any level of industrial activity, or anywhere that has some form of burning or combustion occurring. Black carbon has many dangerous side effects when inhaled, as well as also having warming effects on the environment. Some examples of VOCs include benzene, methylene chloride, xylene and formaldehyde, all of which come with many adverse health effects when they enter the body. Other pollutants include those that go into making up the US AQI reading, which are main chemical compounds such as nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, ozone (smog), carbon monoxide and both PM10 and PM2.5. These are but a small number of the variety of pollutants that can be found throughout the atmosphere in Agartala, with differing quantities depending on the area. The ones mentioned above that form the US AQI figure are perhaps the most common, hence why they are used so prominently in calculating the air pollution levels, both in Agartala and throughout the world.

What health risks come from breathing polluted air and smoke in Agartala?

health issues and illnesses that can occur when air pollution rise to dangerous levels (and even lower levels of air pollution being able to cause dangerous and adverse health effects) in Agartala include coughs, chest pain and resulting infections, which can turn into more serious health issues if they are left unchecked, resulting in damage and scarring to the lung tissue itself, which can also lead to further respiratory issues, reduced lung capacity as well as a decrease in quality of life, and life expectancy. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may also present itself, with bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma and emphysema being the main illnesses. Skin problems may also occur, along with increased early death rates that can in many cases be directly linked to air pollution exposure. Due to the extremely small size of PM2.5 and the myriad of extremely dangerous materials, it is comprised of, its ability to make its way past the blood barrier in the lungs and into the circulatory system means that it can affect many different parts of the body, causing cancer rates to rise significantly, primarily affecting the lungs but also many other organ systems, as well as causing adverse effects to the nervous system, particularly amongst younger inhabitants in Agartala.

What causes Agartala to have higher levels of air pollution present?

Pollution levels in Agartala can show pronounced spikes due to an assortment of further sources all contributing to these heightened numbers. Many of them release unique pollutants contained within smoke, haze and clouds of hazardous fine particulate matter. Along with certain ones that are unique to industrial processes or other polluting causes, there are also ones that are more general and tend to be released from many if not all of the polluting sources. The chemicals discharged from these sources will be discussed further in the article. Agartala has its pollution coming prominently from industrial sites, factories, and other businesses (both large and small scale) that have a form of combustion taking place to provide energy. Any form of combustion can release vast amounts of pollution into the air, and if these practices are not controlled with stringent protocols (which is more common in certain areas that have fewer rigid criteria in place), considerably larger amounts of dangerous pollution can escape into the air and drive the PM2.5 levels as well as the US AQI readings up. Loni, as with many cities India throughout India that are undergoing rapid growth and development, they are subsequently subject to much higher amounts of pollution, emanating from sources such as the combustion of fossil fuels like coal, oil, natural gas and diesel, with the smoke, haze and smog released as a result of their combustion pushing the air pollution levels up by a significant amount, year after year. Additionally, vehicle ownership is also consistently rising in cities such as Agartala, once again in the same manner as the rest of India and indeed the whole world. Cars, motorbikes and further smaller personal vehicles discharge considerable amounts of pollution into the air, more so if they are of the aged or inadequately maintained type, or if lower-grade fuels are utilized in their engines. Larger or more heavy-duty freight vehicles such as trucks, lorries and buses can release many tons of soot and other particles into the atmosphere, with a fair amount of these vehicles still utilizing diesel as their main fuel source. The continual wear and tear of tire treads can also cause excesses of finely ground rubber particles to enter into both the air, bodies of water and the earth, over long periods, which can have a drastic effect on both the surrounding wildlife outside of the city limits, as well as contaminating water sources, entering into the food chain and causing breathing problems amongst those that are exposed to these fine particles.

Which people are the most vulnerable to polluted air in Agartala?

Whilst there are plenty of different groups of people that are far more vulnerable to pollution exposure in Agartala, it is exceptionally important to note that any level of air pollution present, in any amounts, can bring with it potential adverse effects, particularly for those that breathe polluted air daily, or are exposed to large amounts of smoke and fine particles over a shorter or more acute period. This still extends to healthy and fit citizens, who can just as easily become ill due to exposure to poor air quality conditions. Clouds of smoke and fine particles may set off negative immune responses, as well as causing skin problems and damaging the lungs and heart, as well as many other organ systems. Regarding the most at-risk groups, they include people such as younger children and babies. Alterations to the nervous system can take place amongst those who are still growing, due to the damaging effects of many chemical compounds present in the air that can accumulate within the human body after being breathed over periods. This can end in potentially stunted growth, as well as developmental issues and impaired mental faculties. For adults and other older groups, reproductive health can also be affected. Other groups that fall into the sensitive bracket are pregnant women, who much like the young children and baby’s demographic, can subject their unborn child to the negative side effects of pollution exposure due to specific hazardous chemicals being able to make their way to the child in the womb, causing instances of babies being born prematurely, with low birth weight, as well as increasing the rates of infant mortality. Elderly citizens in Agartala are also at risk, due to them being more predisposed to suffering from respiratory or cardiac ailments. Superficial chest or upper respiratory tract infections may evolve into more life-threatening or terminal illnesses amongst the elderly, with other comorbidities such as inactive lifestyle, pre-existing health conditions, obesity, or habits such as smoking lending themselves to making these illnesses considerably worse. Lastly, many people can display a hypersensitive disposition towards certain ultrafine particles and other chemicals found in the pollution in Agartala. As such, all of these groups would do well to stay up to date on the pollution levels, both for the current day as well as the forecasts for the coming week. Preventative measures such as wearing fine particle filtering masks and avoiding outdoor activities can aid greatly in reducing more serious side effects.